The School of Construction Artisans started in Coimbatore will provide formal skill training free of cost

For the construction sector in Coimbatore, the New Year begins with a unique initiative.

The local chapter of the Builders’ Association of India has joined hands with Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidhyalaya and started a School of Construction Artisans. Annually, about 300 students will be trained in masonry, formwork carpentry, and bar bending.

For each category, 25 students will be selected and trained free of cost.

The course includes classes for three months at the institute and for 12 months at a construction site for hands-on experience.

Hostel

A hostel for the students and a training yard has been constructed at the Vidhyalaya at a cost of Rs. 1.5 crore by the builders, with the support of ACC Limited.

Representatives of the association and the institute told presspersons in Coimbatore that the students will get a certificate at the end of the 15-month programmer.

Those aged between 18 and 35 and studied up to Class V can apply.

The intake of students for the first batch is over and enrolment is on for the next.

The courses started on 2 January. The 7,500 sq.ft hostel at the new school is fully furnished and the 25,000 sq.ft training yard will have all tools needed for the three courses.

L&T Construction Skills Training Institute will be knowledge partner for the programmer. The association plans to introduce more courses, including a certificate course to assess the skills of the existing workers.

Most of the construction workers in the field now were trained informally.

By introducing formal training programmers, their productivity can be improved.

The construction sector in the country had 1.5 crore workers in 1995 and 15 per cent of them were skilled.

Now, the total number of workers is 3.1 crore and 10 per cent are skilled.

The NHAI has made it mandatory for its contractors to have five per cent workforce as certified laborers. This is expected to go up to 30 per cent by 2012.

Such a programmed will also provide recognition to the workers’ skills.

With systematic training, the productivity and thus the wages will also improve, says G. Srinivasan, president of the Coimbatore centre of the association.